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CHAPTER 3. TECHNOLOGY & THE PUBLIC SPHERE 56 In his chapter titled, “The Computer as a Democratizer,” Michael Hauben (1995) cites John Stuart Mills’ principles of democratic government: active participation as a necessary principle of democracy, as well as the right of people to define their will and the subsequent need for accurate information for proper decision-making. He also notes that the citizens must prevent the government from censoring this information and that the citizens must have free use of the means of communication. Hauben (1995a) sees computers and computer networks as the solution to implementing Mill’s theory of the liberty of the press, and suggests that the very nature of Usenet communication facilitates this exchange of uncensored information in the democratic process. Hauben (1995d) notes especially Usenet’s feature of being controlled by the very people who read and use the information. The people work together as a community to regulate the space and to utilize Usenet in the way that most benefits the community. Usenet discussion is uncensored and therefore many sides of an issue are presented. Information is gathered from a worldwide community of resources including the often less-heard, excluded voices. While communities form around similar interests and opinions, individuals are able to make their own contribution to a worldwide audience. Usenet communication, argues Hauben (1995) satisfies Christopher Lasch’s call for public debate while also overcoming two of the obstacles to participatory democracy cited by Mill. First, Usenet allows for each opinion to be voiced and discussed without having the participants physically sharing space and time. Mill argued that agreement would be difficult with many voices offering opinions. Secondly, Hauben (1995) writes Usenet overcomes the problem of immediacy: “Online discussions do not have the same characteristics as in-person meetings. As people connect to the discussion forum when they wish, and when they have time, they can be thoughtful in their responses to the discussion.”
Chapter 4 Abortion Discourse in the Public Sphere The purpose of this chapter is to place the issue of abortion into the context of the thesis. The abortion issue is well suited to an analysis of structure of a democratic public sphere for three reasons. First, the abortion issue is an important ongoing public issue, which continues to have unresolved aspects featured in public discourse (Ferree & Gamson 1993). Second, there is a well-established literature on all aspects of the abortion issue, including the political and social history of abortion, the philosophical and legal challenges posed by the issue, and the nature of public discourse concerning abortion. Finally, the nature of the abortion issue requires a well-constructed public sphere in order for a democratic resolution to emerge: it is not neatly characterized by familiar ideological distinctions; there are direct links between personal beliefs, personal behavior, and public actions; and policy making process is widely distributed across a range of public and private institutions. Section 4.1 on the following page of this chapter introduces the issue of abortion by reviewing its political history in the United States. Section 4.2 on page 63 traces trends in the public discussion of abortion. 57
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Appendix B Density Scores Table B.1
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APPENDIX B. DENSITY SCORES 165 Tabl
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Appendix C Supplemental Analysis 16
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APPENDIX C. SUPPLEMENTAL ANALYSIS 1
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 177 Best, Michael L. 1
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 179 Fisher, Bonnie, Mi
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 181 Hiltz, Starr Roxan
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 Mansbridge, Jane.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 185 Pateman, Carole. 1
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 187 Savicki, Victor, D
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 189 U. S. Congress, Of
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